Warlord Era

A period in Republican China, especially from 1916 to 1928, when regional military leaders controlled much of the country as central authority weakened.

Beiyang Army: A modern Chinese military force built during the late Qing dynasty that became a major power base in early Republican politics. Its commanders inherited the strongest national army after Yuan Shikai’s death.
Xinhai Revolution: The 1911–1912 revolution that ended the Qing dynasty and established a republic in China. It created the republic whose fragile institutions warlords later contested.
Zhang Zuolin: A Manchurian military leader who became one of the most powerful warlords in China. He led the Fengtian clique and controlled Beijing near the era’s end.
First Zhili–Fengtian War: A 1922 conflict between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques for control of the Beijing government. Its outcome briefly established Zhili dominance in northern China.
Nanjing decade: The period from 1927 to 1937 when the Nationalist government ruled from Nanjing and pursued state-building. It followed the Northern Expedition and attempted to consolidate national rule.
Beiyang Government: The central government based in Beijing that governed the Republic of China from 1912 to 1928. It claimed national authority while relying on rival military factions.
Republic of China: The Chinese state founded in 1912 after the Qing dynasty fell. The Warlord Era was an early period in this republic’s history.
Wu Peifu: A Beiyang military commander and leading figure in the Zhili clique. His victories briefly made the Zhili faction dominant in northern China.
Second Zhili–Fengtian War: A 1924 war between the Zhili and Fengtian cliques that ended with a coup in Beijing. Feng Yuxiang’s defection transformed the war into a political upheaval.
Northeast Flag Replacement: The 1928 decision by Zhang Xueliang’s forces to recognize the Nationalist government and adopt its flag in Manchuria. It marked the symbolic end of the Warlord Era’s principal phase.

Linked from 21 pages